Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan City of Mequon, Wisconsin January 2014 Page intentionally left blank Mequon Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan 11333 N. Cedarburg Rd Mequon, WI 53092-1930 Phone: 262/236-2918 Fax: 262/242-9655 www.ci.mequon.wi.us Office of the Parks & Operations Director January 13, 2014 Dan Abendroth, Mayor Mequon Common Council 11333 North Cedarburg Road Mequon, WI 53092 Dear Mayor Abendroth & Common Council, The City of Mequon Park Board submits for your review the 2013 Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan. In 1991 the Park Board prepared the first Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan which was adopted by the Common Council and used as a guide for acquisition and development of needed park space in the City of Mequon. Every five years since the first Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan was submitted the Park Board has provided updated versions that were adopted by the Common Council. All of the recent plans have been a valuable resource for planning and guiding park acquisition and development. The adoption and implementation of the following document will qualify the City of Mequon for funding assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. More importantly this plan will insure completion of an integrated park system that will provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for Mequon residents, while enhancing the overall quality of life in our Community. The Mequon Park Board is pleased to have been of assistance to the City of Mequon in preparation of the new Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan. Sincerely, Mequon Park Board January 2014 Acknowledgements MAYOR Dan Abendroth CITY COUNCIL Robert Strzelczyk District 1 Kenneth Zganjar District 2 Dale Mayr District 3 John Leszczynksi District 4 Mark Seider District 5 John Hawkins District 6 Andrew Nerbun District 7 Pamela Adams District 8 CITY OF MEQUON PARK BOARD Susan Chich District 1 Robert Walerstein District 2 Francine Rechcygl District 3 Bruce Barnes, Chairperson District 4 Mark Gierl District 5 Barbara Frank, Vice Chairperson District 6 James Lysaught District 7 Mary Glenn Fuchs District 8 CITY OF MEQUON PARKS DEPARTMENT Don Curran Director of Parks and Operations Pam Szymanski Administrative Assistant Mequon Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Mission & Vision Statements 5 Goals and Objectives 7 Planning Process 13 Park, Recreation, & Open Space Inventory 17 Garrison’s Glen 18 Grasslyn Nature Preserve 20 Highland Woods 22 Katherine Kearney Carpenter Park 24 Lemke Park 26 Lilly Lane Nature Preserve 28 Little Menomonee Nature Preserve 30 Mequon Community Park 32 Mequon Nature Preserve 34 Prinz Nature Preserve 36 Pukaite Woods 38 River Barn Park 40 River Forest Nature Preserve 42 Riverview Park 44 Rotary Park 46 Scout Park 48 Settlers Park 50 Shoreland Nature Preserve 52 Swan Road Prairie 54 Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat 56 Villa Grove Park 58 Willow Bay Nature Preserve 60 Ozaukee County Interurban Trail 62 Ozaukee County Mee-Kwon Park 64 Ozaukee County Virmond Park 66 MMSD Site – Babiaz 68 MMSD Site – Burcyk 70 MMSD Site – Hoerig 72 Recommendations and Implementation 74 Appendices 85 Glossary 85 Park, Recreation & Open Space Stakeholders 88 Outdoor Recreation Grant Information 89 Planning Background 95 Summary of Previously Completed Plans 103 Park, Recreation & Open Space Key Issues 104 Park, Recreation & Open Space Needs Assessment 107 City Social and Economic Characteristics 129 Adopted Resolution Approving the Comprehensive 132 Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan Map January 2014 1 Executive Summary The preparation, adoption and subsequent Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) review and acceptance of a Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or in this case a Comprehensive Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan, is a prerequisite to participating in the outdoor recreation grant programs. The City of Mequon Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan is the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan equivalent. The City of Mequon Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan is used to provide guidance in acquiring, improving and maintaining the City of Mequon’s park and open spaces that provide active and passive recreational activity opportunities, land and water preservation and restoration, and environmental education for the City of Mequon residents. This Plan consists of a number of general vision statements as well as specific statements regarding: Community Enhancement, Rivers and Lake Michigan, the Town Center and the functions of the Park Board, as well as statements, principles, values, goals and objectives pertinent to park, recreation and open space. The Plan’s goals include: 1. To incorporate the active and passive recreational uses in our park system to create a balance of the built environment with the natural environment 2. To educate our community about the park system, advertise its amenities and features, and promote usage 3. To engage our citizenry in sustaining and maintaining our park system 4. To address a changing population and its recreational needs 5. To provide river access to our connected system of parks, nature preserves, and open spaces along our Milwaukee River primary environmental corridor 6. To identify every park, nature preserve, and open space in our system through signage, boundary markers, and access 7. To develop a linear park system along the Little Menomonee River environmental corridor 8. To provide access to Lake Michigan 9. To support the Interurban Bike Trail and other bike trails in the city as an opportunity to identify our parks as destinations 10. To advocate the use of the city’s financial resources and encourage a diversity of financing options to accomplish these goals and objectives The City of Mequon currently has 1,181.7 acres of park, recreation and open space sites distributed among 25 parks. A number of Key Issues regarding Mequon’s park, recreation and open space have been recognized as well as strengths, opportunities and threats to the City’s parks and community as a whole, as they relate to park, recreation and open space were incorporated into the Plan. 2 Mequon Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan The City’s existing park, recreation and open space sites were compared to the National Recreation and Park Association standards. According to these standards, the City has an adequate number of park, recreation and open space sites and facilities except for what they describe as Mini-Parks. The City of Mequon Park Board has determined that the development of Mini-Parks is not a priority, due to the number of large lot residential properties in the community. The proposed Riverwalk and River Front Park that is part of the Town Center concept is an obvious Linear Park opportunity. The actual number and variety of recreational facilities located in the City’s parks have also been assessed and compared to the National Recreation and Park Association standards. The Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan recommends a number of implementation strategies. These strategies consist of a Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Map as well as prioritized Mequon park improvement projects. The Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Map is a decision making tool that assists the City Park Board, City Council and City Staff to determine how and if properties relate to the entire potential citywide open space system. The Comprehensive Park, Recreation & Open Space Map consists of the existing City of Mequon Parks and Ozaukee County Park and recreation facilities; proposed open space that includes the recognized environmental corridors and privately owned and operated open space as well as the linear systems such as the Riverwalk and bicycle facilities found throughout the City. During the park, recreation & open space planning process, the Mequon Park Board and City Staff identified a number of projects distributed among the City’s parks. Over the term of this five year plan and beyond, a number of these tasks or projects have been selected as high priorities by the Mequon Park Board and City Staff, including: Lemke Park- develop restrooms as an addition to the shelter constructed in 2010 Complete identification signs for all sites that currently do not have a sign Establish stewardship groups Upgrade trails at Katherine Kearney Carpenter Park Expand bike trail system Improve riverwalk at River Barn Park Restore riverbank at Villa Grove Park Identify location for disc golf Identify location for a west side dog park To ensure success in the Town Center finalization of plans, it is recommended that the Mequon Park Board be included in the planning and implementation that occur in the Civic Campus and Southern Arrival Corridor and Gateway since the Park Department may ultimately become responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the individual design elements. Further, it is recommended that the Mequon Park Board support and participate when and wherever possible to ensure that the Town Center is successful and well received as are the City’s Parks. The Park, Recreation & Open Space Plan concludes with the appendices that includes a glossary; park, recreation and open space stake holders, outdoor recreation grant information, summary of previously completed plans, City social and economic characteristics, the economic benefits of parks and open space, a Park Board motion,